Chesney Hawkes

British teen heartthrob Chesney Hawkes scored one of the U.K.'s biggest hits in 1991 -- the pop single "I Am the One and Only," which topped the charts for five straight weeks -- only to vanish as quickly as he had arrived. The Nik Kershaw composition -- from Hawkes' Top 20 debut LP Buddy's Song -- became the 20th best-selling U.K. single of the decade. However, by 1993's Get the Picture, his star had truly waned. From that point on, he reemerged every five to ten years -- with 2007's Another Fine Mess, 2012's Real Life Love, and 2025's Living Arrows -- displaying increased songwriting maturity.Born on September 22, 1971, in Windsor, Berkshire, Hawkes had the right pedigree for show business. His father, Len "Chip" Hawkes, played bass for the Tremeloes, a '60s outfit that enjoyed two U.K. number one singles, while his mother, Carol Hawkes, was a British television hostess and actress. With a wealth of industry connections at his disposal, Hawkes made his public debut at age 19, when he portrayed the titular character of the 1990 movie Buddy's Song alongside the Who's Roger Daltrey. The film was a flop, but its soundtrack proved to be quite popular in Europe, with the Nik Kershaw-penned "I Am the One and Only" scaling the charts and remaining in the top position for more than a month. Later that year, the track managed to crack the Top Ten in America following its inclusion in the Michael J. Fox comedy Doc Hollywood. Hawkes was unable to follow the success of that first single, however, and "I'm a Man Not a Boy" became his last song to crack the Top 40 in either country. He released Get the Picture in 1993, but a lack of public interest convinced him to pursue acting instead. Hawkes landed several minor roles, including ones in the 1995 rock musical McGregor's Trap and 1997's Prince Valiant, and made appearances on several reality TV shows in England. In 2001, he returned to music with "Stay Away Baby Jane" -- a single he had co-written with Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger -- but it barely scraped the U.K. charts. While 2005's "Another Fine Mess" -- from the album of the same name -- did slightly better (peaking at number 48 in England), Hawkes maintained his status as a one-hit wonder.In 2007, he composed two pieces for the London Symphony Orchestra, which were performed at events promoting an in-car audio system. The following year, he joined the cast of Can't Smile Without You, a musical based around the songs of Barry Manilow. 2012's ballad-heavy Real Life Love found him chasing an earnest, stoic singer/songwriter persona. The next decade brought various minor TV appearances, before, in 2022, Chrysalis issued The Complete Picture: The Albums 1991-2012, a comprehensive audio and visual overview of his career to date featuring rarities and unreleased demos. Originally planned for a 2021 release, Hawkes' fifth studio album was eventually issued in early 2025. With a pop focus, Living Arrows, was produced by the Ed Sheeran and One Direction collaborator Jake Gosling. Its title was inspired by a Kahlil Gibran poem, On Children, while parenthood, mental health and loss comprised the main themes of the record.
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